New York (EFE).- The giant Apple launched this Tuesday its first phone with a USB-C port, the iPhone 15, and says goodbye to its Lightning port after the European Union (EU) announced that this unique charger will be mandatory for phones, tablets, cameras and other portable devices in the Old Continent from the end of 2024.
“We will bring USB-C to the iPhone 15, which allows charging, data transfer, audio and video playback. (…) Now the same cable can charge Mac, iPad, iPhone and even second-generation AirPods pro,” the apple company announced at its annual event held at the Steve Jobs Theater at its headquarters in Apple Park in Cupertino (California). .
However, the two new smart watches announced today, the Watch Series 9 and the second generation Watch Ultra, will not have this port.
Goodbye lightning, hello USB-C
Apple began using the Lightning port in 2012 with the iPhone 5 and although this is the first time it has launched this port on its phones and AirPods, the USB-C charger has already been present for some time on its laptops and tablets, as well as in chargers (which have a cable that goes from Lightning port to USB-C).
The objective of the EU law for the single USB-C charger is to make life easier for consumers, but also to reduce technological waste generated from cell phones, tablets, e-books, digital cameras, game consoles and headphones.
iPhone 15
Like every year, the company co-founded by Steve Jobs aims to make its new smartphone as attractive as possible to convince users to renew its products.
In that sense, the “sex appeal” to buy this model is better cameras and a titanium casing.
“We bring an incredible 48-megapixel main camera to the iPhone 15. It is designed to take sharp photos and videos every day with a four-pixel sensor and 100% focus pixels for fast autofocus,” highlighted the American company in the presentation.
All iPhone 15 models – which will be sold in the United States starting September 22 – will come with a “dynamic island,” which offers a new way to see certain notifications on the screen and interact with applications.
For their part, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models will have thinner edges and are made of titanium, which, according to the company, makes them “more resistant.”
The Pro model has a 6.1-inch screen and the Pro Max a 6.7-inch one. Both are powered by the A17 Pro chip, which Apple says has the fastest performance on any smartphone and can even challenge some high-end PCs.
“It is the fastest chip ever seen in a smartphone,” the company’s CEO, Tim Cook, highlighted at the event.
Cook also highlighted that these models feature the “most professional camera system yet, including a 5x telephoto camera.”
The iPhone 15 starts at $799, the iPhone 15 Plus starts at $899, the iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999, and the Pro Max starts at $1,199.
Apple watches and glasses
Another novelty is the Apple Watch Series 9 smartwatch, its central processing unit (CPU) has 5.6 billion transistors, a graphics processing unit (GPU) that is 30% faster and a quad-core neural engine.
One of the new functions of this watch is that its users will be able to answer calls by moving their fingers like a clamp and without the need to touch the screen.
For its part, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 model is presented as an option for lovers of more extreme sports.
Both models will go on sale on September 22 and will be priced at $399 for the series 9 watch and $799 for its Ultra version.
Cook also announced that its virtual reality and augmented reality glasses, Apple Vision Pro, are “on track” to launch “early next year.”
Not a word about China
In the hour-and-a-half event, there was no mention of China or its potential iPhone ban, which sent its stock tumbling for several days last week.
China has banned all government officials and official agencies from using iPhones during work hours, according to The Wall Street Journal.
This ban could be a hard blow for Apple, which has 19% of its global profits in China, with the iPhone being the preferred phone among high-end phones in the Asian country.
